Means for operating multiple sliding doors



June 10, 1941. u -f 2,244,840

MEANS FOR OPERATING MULTIPLE SLIDING DOORS Filed June 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheefi 1 INVENTOR. A 7 George I). Hulburt Fig. 2. I Q fmw/ ATTORNEY.

MEANS FOR OPERATING MULTIPLE SLIDING DOORS Filed June 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 0 v Wn mp ,A x w 6 W Y B u m w M v w I N w we H; w 0 (1% F m o 5 m.

Patented June 10, 1941 MEANS FOR OPERATING MULTIPLE SLIDING noons George Delbert Hulburt, Los Angeles, Calif; as; r

signer to Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of New "l York Application June 22, 1938, Serial No. 215,140

4 Claims.

This invention relates to door operating means and deals particularly with a means for opening and closing multiple sectional sliding doors.

The invention to be described'hereinafter has been developed particularly for use in building motion picture sets as a labor saving device, but the device in its various forms may become useful in other fields where multiple sectional sliding doors may be used. In' order to show the possibilities of the invention, it has been disclosed in more than one form.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for opening and closing multiple sectional sliding doors that may be easily and quickly set up with a minimum of labor and material. Another object is to provide means of a character described that may be utilized repeatedly in different types of structures and may be installed and dismounted as a unit. Another object of the inventionis to provide means for controlling multiple sectionalsliding doors whereby the various sections of the door may be partially supported upon the opening and closing means and partially supported upon a track. Still another object is to provide means of the character described whereby the multiple sections of a sliding door arrangement may be supported and operated upon a single track. A further object of the invention is to provide a lazy tong arrangement for opening and closing multiple sections of sliding doors wherein the lazy tong arrangement is supported at an outer point upon a track that follows the path of said point in its extensible movement.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds in conjunction with the drawings-in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a multiple sectional door arrangement showing one 7 iorm of my invention for opening and closing the doors.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the doors fully retracted with the door opening clear.

Figure 3 is a view taken on line 33 of Fig- 'ure 2. I

Figure 6 is a view taken on line B-6 of Figure 5. I

Briefly stated. the invention embodies a lazy tong arrangement fixed tothe wall .orthe structure of a building, or amOtiOnpictureset, over a door opening so that the various moving pivots of the lazy tong arrangement may be attachedto the multiple sections of the door and operated to proportionally move the individual door sections to fully open and close the door opening, f 'I he lazy tong arrangement'may becOnstructed as a unit and may even be mounted upon a base thatmay in turn be mounted on. the structurecom taining the door. opening. .In-this'way the. unit may be used repeatedly and may v QQQa sily and conveniently installed. and dismounted. M A ..unit of this nature is particularly vuseful inbuilfding motion picture sets. I

Referring to drawings 1, 2 andjB, whichslmw one form of my invention, it maybe .seenjt hat I have more or less diagrammatically illustrated the installation of a lazy tong arrangementg'g'enorally designated ll, over a door open ll The structure upon which the arrangement may be mounted is immaterial, inasmuch as it is not a part of the invention. The relation of the door opening means to the door itself is disclosed to illustrate the invention. In these views it will be seen that the lazy tong arrangement II is mounted upon a base l3, which is suitably mounted upon the supporting structure designated as a wall 20, containing the door opening 12 The door opening I2 is adapted to be closed by a multiple sectional door containing in this instance three sections, l4, l5 and [6. In this installation the doors "4,15 and I6 are supported upon tracks l1, l8 and 19 (see Figure 3), vsaid tracks in turn being mounted upon the supporting wall 20 by means ,of. a'multiple bracket. arrangement, generally designated 2|. The doors !4, l5 and I6 are each supported upon tracks I1, l8 and i9 respectively by means of identical rollers 22 and brackets 23. This structure will be recognized as the ordinary track arrangement for supporting multiple sectional sliding doors. The means whereby these sections are moved proportionately to completely open and close the door opening l2 resides in the lazytong arrangement generally designated ll. As is well known, a lazy tong arrangement consists of parallel bars pivotally inter-connected at spaced points. In this case my arrangement'comprises parallel bars 24, 25 and a half bar 26. The other set of parallel bars is designated 21, 28 and 29. These bars are pivotally inter-connected at points 30, 3!, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36. The whole arrangement is pivotally mounted upon the base [3 upon a bracket support 37. The outer end of the arrangement carries a pivot point 38. The pivot points 32, 35 and 38 are connected by means of brackets 39, 4|] and 4| to the doors I4, I5 and 15 pivots 59, 10, H, T2, 73, M, 75 and. a forward single pivot point 16. This whole assembly, as before stated, is pivotally mounted on the wall 5! upon the bracket 52. The forward edges of respectively. It is to be understood that the 5 the door sections 54, 55 and 53 are equipped with brackets 39, 40 and 4| are rigidly connected to brackets 77, I8 and 73, which in turn are pivthe doors. It. will be seen, therefore, that as the otally supported upon the pivots H, M and "I6 lazy tong arrangement is extended or retracted respectively. It is to be understood that these the pivot points 32, 35 and 38 will move probrackets are rigidly attached to the door secgressively increasing distances and will likewise 10 tions and not only support the forward edges carry the doors the same distances. The result "of the door but also operate to push the doors is that if any one of the doors is moved the other "iii and out on the track El. It will be observed doors are moved correspondingly. By properly that the arm '59 is also equipped with a roller arranging the reach of the lazy tongs, and by .35? adapted to run on the track 6i. This roller properly positioning the intermediate points on gives support to the Outer end of the lazy ton the tongs, any number of doors may be moved so arrangement and holds the pivot points 7|, 74 as to properly position each section of the door d 1Y1 e as the tong arrangement is to form a complete closure for adoor opening. tended a d r c e It Can be See therefore, As an optional means of stabilizing the lazy tongs, t at s y one of the sections is moved the I may incorporate a roller 43 arranged to ride h rs are moved correspondingly and are we Upon a curved track mounted ,upon the base p e a held i l e vthe y garran 3',I.to.hold theuppei; end of, the lazy" tong arment in combination with the track. If found rangernentfin a steady upright position when the desirable or necessary the upperend of the lazy (device isfin a closed position shown'in Figure 2. s a gement may be" supported and held in vflnjadditiOn, may, even incorporateanother a steady position by meansof a guide track 8! .rol1eri45jon,the out nd of the arm 25 and inmounted on the wall 5| and aro-ller '82 mounted stall.anotherflcurved track 45, which will give on the pivot point'w. The track j'may'beopadded stability and steadiness to thedevice. As t e as ch as the bars and theip vo't points aurefine'ment, I may! also embody a leaf spring of the lazy tong 'arrangementmay be made surfi- ,fl l which is arranged to yi ldin l enga th 3O ciently strong to provide asteady arrangement h lazyl to'ng arrangementinith s e SQQl h as a that needs no upper sup ort; A device of this point.brjjhejb11145 bn the arm 25 A sprin character may also be installed as a unit "and, 5f this r'iatur'e y rill assis t in the initial mo p t if desirable, may be mounted on a base which l-df} h e rswhen startingfto open them'from carries the complete installationf )4 i 1 a fiully closed position andwill also cushion the I C aim! doors in the final closing movement. A device 1! For use in a structure having n pe ot the above nature maybe readily and easily inadapted to be closed by multiple sectional slidi ned in njunctionwiththe ordinary installa- I ing doors, a single track'mounted on :s'aidstruction ofa multiple sectional door for opening and t e O e S d Op a" ton arrangement cl sing fthe q q ops a 11135115formv d 'm 40 having a point thereon pivotally rno'untedon rbeQrIeadily dismounted and, used again in other said structure, 'means for 'movably supporting ,I installations. an outer extensible" point of'sfaid lazytong ar- In figures 4, 5 p and 6 l haveshown another range ment on said ltrack, means for movably form of my invention. In.,this form the device supporting one edge of each of said door sechas ,b een reduced to .very simple construction tions upon said track and means for supporting land is, sofionstfucted that :the multiple sections of the door may be operated upon; a single track. L The l e rsiliemse esJ e part a ly sl e on gthe,tracl; and partially supported onthe lazy te -a an eme t h h a so c r the tions in their ope iing an d closing movement. H v iewsl have illustrated my invention as h 'or rrpri sing a .lazy tong arrangementf generally designated 5Qwhich is pivotally mounted upon wall 51 inany suitablemanner; as illustrated 55 .y ,ab ee d new in s i l i e my fl. b a ar o ny. St u t re a d, he 1 9 deem 53, Over ,thedooropening there is arranged em eie se t n..d rlce e el e io s. 54, h 5,5 Qn d 56. Each'of' t hesef doors is supported at one edge by me ans of brackets, 5i, 58 and 59, whic carry identicalrollers. an arranged to run H p The, "a on is s'upporte'd upon .itha al in a suite i im i as by brackets 62'. It willJbe noted that the brackets the opposite 'edge of each of said door sections respectively upon a series of extensible pivot points on said lazy tong arrangement. Q

2. For use in astructure havin an opening adapted to beolosed by multiple sectional sliding doors, a single trac k mounted on saidstructure, a lazy tong arrangementhaving a point thereon pivotally mounted on' said structure, means for movably supporting an outer extensible point of said lazy tong arrangement on said track, means for movably supporting one edge of each of said d oor sections upon said track, means for supporting the opposite edge of each of said door sections respectivmy upon a series of extensible pivot points on saidllazy tong arrangement, and means on said structure for I inovably supporting an upper extensible point of said lazy tong arrangement.

3. For use in a structure having an opening therein, a single track mounted on said structure e rs.i n to'. successive positions when the doors o sed, as shown in Fligure 5. This will be to providea support for'the rear edge 9? east. sedimh flf nted e 9 h Sections are pported on the lazy tong arrangement.

rall el" bars 5 6 l i'l and 8'8. I These l vseee eedem rgin by over said opening, a lazy tong arrangement hav 's'pectiveiy upon successively extensible pivot points on said lazy tong arrangement.

4. For use witfi a structure having a door opening therein, a single track mounted on said structure over said opening, a lazy tong arrangement over said opening having one point thereof pivotally mounted on said structure, means for movably supporting an extensible point of said lazy tong arrangement on said track, a plurality of sliding doors for closing said opening, means for movably supporting one e, of each of said doors on said track, and me'gixfor pivotally supporting the opposite edge of of said doors upon separate extensible points of said lazy tong arrangement.

GEORGE DELBERT HULBURT. 

